I don't understand why I can't get the scrabble program 'wordbiz' to work ... the instructions after unzipping are to go to the wordbiz directory and type 'java -jar wordbiz.jar'. After doing so or so i think nothing works.

thanks,Nate

Last edited by tbrownarcher2 on Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Go to your wordbiz.jar file > right click it > Open With Other Application > Use a custom command > java -jar > Make sure Use as default for this kind of file is marked. :

jar.png (50.93 KiB) Viewed 1509 times

Now you can go to your regular file manager and double click a jar file - no execute bit to set - no right click "Open With" - no running from a terminal - just a double click. Just like every other OS in the world.

Checking to see if a jar file ( or an exe file if you use wine ) has a Linux executable bit set is something Ubuntu made up with the use of something called cautious-launcher. It's not a requirement of java or wine.

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@altair4: don't make things more complicated as it is. I tried it by just right clicking the file and selecting Open with in the pop-up menu and then selecting OpenJDK Java runtime. And believe it or not, the program started! That the readme files says to type some command doesn't mean that that is the right solution.

@tbrownarcher2:Try my solution first before sinking any deeper in the terminal command trap. Right click the file wordbiz.jar and in the pop-up menu select Open with and then select OpenJDK Java Runtime or Oracle Java Runtime depending which Java you have installed.

It's nice that they help you with terminal commands, but if you don't know what it is or how to use it, providing such solution is just pointless...

And just to clear up any misinformation you may have read, if one where to just right click the jar file and select "Open with" in the pop-up menu and then select OpenJDK Java runtime it will not run the jar file. At least not if you are running Ubuntu-based Mint and that's the section of the forum we are posting. Instead you will get the following error message:

BLOCKED: The file '/home/tester1/Downloads/WordBiz/wordbiz.jar' is not marked as executable. If this was downloaded or copied from an untrusted source, it may be dangerous to run. For more details, read about the executable bit.

This forces the user to make the jar file executable. The purists in the crowd will look at that error message and wonder since when do jar files need to have a Linux executable bit set to run? Jar files in and of themselves are not an executable entity they are Java Archives.

So there are multiple ways around this issue:

[1] You can succumb to the convoluted logic of our Ubuntu overlords and actually make the file executable but you still have to use the "open with" procedure. If the jar file sits on a ntfs formatted usb stick or a CDROM well you're out of luck so you will just have to copy it to a linux partition, make it executable , and then use open with.

[2] You can fix it at it's source by editing the /usr/share/applications/openjdk-7-java.desktop, find the following line, and delete the "cautious-launcher %f" part:

Exec=cautious-launcher %f /usr/bin/java -jar

That removes the need for it being executable but it's not the best of solutions since any update to java will likely rewrite that file. And you still have to use "Open with" to run it.

[3] You can do what I suggested which does 2 things:

** It bypasses the "cautious-launcher" logic so that the file does not have to be executable and then it can be run from anywhere.** It sets the jar file association to java so that you can double click it just line on Windows or OSX.

[4] Or you can do what the developer of the application stated and run the jar from the terminal ( java -jar wordbiz.jar ) which also bypasses cautious-launcher and hence does not require you to make the file executable. That procedure will work just as stated in just about any OS or any DE which is why the developer likely suggested it.

Last edited by altair4 on Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

Please add a [SOLVED] at the end of your original subject header if your question has been answered and solved.

this is for all who have replied... thanksIt's been really interresting to watch this ... but i'm confused. Sometimes i just don't have the knowledge to incorporate the knowledge dispensed here.

the instruction to type 'java -jar wordbiz.jar is suppsoed to be typed into the wordbiz dir. I'm not sure how to get a wordbiz dir. I assume it's made when you unzip the file by clicking on the Wordbiz18linux.zip file . I really need help from the end of the download on .

When i click on the Dowloads there is no Wordbiz directory there is a WordBiz18linux.zip file though. When I double click on that file i get a Wordbiz directory that i don't know where to type any commands except into the address bar. Where do I type the command.

I did this . the last instruction typing into the terminal the java -jar $HOME/Downloads/WordBiz/wordbiz.jar. The results of this was nate@nate ~ $ java -jar $HOME/Downloads/Wordbiz/wordbiz.jarUnable to access jarfile /home/nate/Downloads/Wordbiz/wordbiz.jarI did the same thing again and this was the result Invalid or corrupt jarfile /home/nate/Downloads

What did i not do or do wrong ?

Thanks,Nate

Last edited by tbrownarcher2 on Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It seems you got in running back then - well, you got it to launch anyway:

Ok! I got it running ... the program (like all of them ) is instruction specific. I'm guilt of not following instructions. I typed wordbiz.jar when i was supposed to type java -jar wordbiz.jar

it's up and running now and my next question is how do i get the Icon for the program associated with the program and placed on the desktop.and now i find that the program locks up the computer and no one is going to give me help on that ... all this and now i can't use it .....

You stated in that post that you were using Ubuntu 10.10. A lot has happened since then so if you are still using that let us know.

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Altair: I am using LinuxMint13 cinammon. I think. I do not remember ever getting wordbiz to work but if i sent that post i must have but at the end of it i couldn't get the program to actually work. I never did have much success with Ubuntu either ...... Cinammon is a blessing to me at least i get to the point that I actually can use it every day. even have a friend using it and when others make inquiring statememts i tell em it's a wonderful system. But my knowledge is growing it's not there yet and the wordbiz program is making me crazy ... I was not going to try it in mint but i heard they had a new ver of wordbiz so i'm actually attempting to use it. If I can get wordbiz going i won't have to open windows but about once a month. The wordbiz program is an interface with an on line scrabble program which is on a site called ISC or Internet scrabble Club I think.

There is now a wordbiz directory in my Downloads folder I accomplished that from your instructions in your previous post but after i got the wordbiz directory i can't seem to do the rest of the instructions. that you gave i have not , since , tried their instructions so i will try their instructions and see what happens. but your instructions seem to be more sensible in that i can work with the program graphically to get it going.

Also howdo you post those graphical windows here such as the graphic window Downloads you posted or if that's not it something in the string of instructions.

well, I used their command and got the program to work or at least boot up but I can't use it it locks up and i have no idea why ..... so I will look forward to your posts

If you are now at the point where you can launch the wordbiz program but something freezes I don't think I can help you.

** If wordbiz itself freezes then it sounds like a problem with wordbiz.

** If the whole desktop freezes then it sounds like a problem with java although Mint installs java by default so there's nothing to mess with generally.

I just installed it on Mint13 Cinnamon and had no issues launching it and it does not freeze anything. Now in my case I'm only taking this to the point where it asks me my language and then i pass a blank "Handle" and "password". In this case it returns with a "You must specify your ISC handle" error.

Please add a [SOLVED] at the end of your original subject header if your question has been answered and solved.

Altair:ty for the help ! I don't think it's the desktop that is frozen I can cancel the probram from the task bar and the mint menu works. The worsdbiz program freezes so it must be like you said. I don't know how to address the problem because the people that programmed it will not help beyond what they already did when they gave instructions to install it. It's free so I can't do much complaining. I could put up another thread to ask if anyone here has actually gotten it to work !

OH! as an afterthought .... would it be possible that If I use your method of getting it to run instead of their's that it would work?